Caminho Novo and the Loss of Gold Traffic

The opening of Caminho Novo in 1707 created a more direct connection between Guanabara Bay and the mining region. Paraty lost part of the gold traffic, but its economy continued to change.

Category: 18th century
Location: Port of Paraty and routes to the interior

From 1707 onward
Changing gold routes

What happened

In 1707, Garcia Rodrigues Pais opened a route between Guanabara Bay and Ouro Branco, where it met Caminho Velho. The more direct road reduced the need to take cargo to Paraty and complete the journey by sea. This change weakened the port’s strategic role in the gold circuit, but it did not end local economic life overnight. Farming, cachaça production, regional trade, and later coffee supported new cycles.

Why it matters

This history corrects the idea of a sudden decline. Paraty gradually lost its central role and adapted through other activities, leaving economic layers from different periods across its territory.

Related places

Former port of Paraty
Caminho Velho gold route
Serra da Bocaina

Sources

IPHAN — Baroque and Rococo in the Churches of Ouro Preto and Mariana
IBGE — History of Paraty

Monthly update

September 10, 2026.

Gallery

Paraty’s colonial port with little activity, warehouses, barrels, workers, and a mule leaving the quay at low tide. — The opening of the Caminho Novo in 1707 redirected part of the traffic toward Guanabara Bay and gradually reduced Paraty’s central role as a port.